CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Members of the board of directors of United Airlines were supposed to fly to Northeast Ohio in June for what would have been a publicity and economic coup for Cleveland -- United's annual shareholders' meeting.

Joe Roman, president of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, said at the time that Cleveland would have a chance to showcase Hopkins as a hub that should be part of United's plans for the long term.

Compton on Monday also addressed another signal that Cleveland seemed to be holding its own in the United system -- a special section on Hopkins in the airline's in-flight magazine for February, a 56-page insert cheered by Cleveland's tourism industry.

It is stuffed with full- and half-page ads from University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic, the University of Akron and companies including Swagelok, First Energy and Parker Hannifin. See magazine here.

Compton said he didn't regret the insert or its timing because Hopkins is worth writing about and people connect with Cleveland. Fuel costs are among an airline's biggest outlays, and the magazine weight was thought to have added as much as $1 million in expenses for United.

Compton did not confirm that number, but he said United judges its publications on their overall benefit, including the ad revenue and good publicity they generate.

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